I started my diet/exercise plan on 1/25 at 284.4 lbs. My last weigh in (2/7) was 288.8. I'm doing everything right, including tracking my calories (1800/day).
Ordinarily, you'd chalk this kind of action up to a plateau, right? But 1) it's only been two months and I'd have had to start "plateauing" from Day 1 and 2) the scale is acting really weird!
So, it seems to like the number 287. I weigh-in every morning (officially on Fridays) and that number comes up more than any other. But, here's the kicker--no matter what time of day I weigh, no matter what I am wearing, no matter ANYTHING, it's 287!!
Last week, when it was stuck on 287, I weighed two dumbbells. The 15-lb weighed in at 15.0; the 12-lb one came in at 12.0. So it would appear to be correct. But the 287 thing has been driving me crazy. It just doesn't seem right! So I did an experiment yesterday...
Morning right after I woke up (287); after I got dressed (287); after a full 8 hour workday, complete with 2 meals and 2 snacks and at least 48 oz. of water and visibly swollen ankles (287); right after dinner (287); right before bed at 11pm (287). Then again first thing this morning (287) and fully dressed for work, including shoes (287). WHAT GIVES??
How is this even possible??
Last edited by See Spot Shrink; 03-13-2008 at 12:05 PM.
LOL, I know it must be terribly frustrating, but you wrote about it so well, I was cracking up. I hate scales. I really do. In a span of three days I fluctuated 4 lbs (all weighing in at the same time each day)... down.... way down... way up (on weigh-in day.) I know my scale seems to gravitate towards certain numbers too. All I can say is keep track of your calories, maybe cut down a little over the next few weeks, and maybe boost your exercise just a little?? I still can't understand how it could be 187 even after eating though... I gain, seriously, 5-7 lbs after a full day of eating and drinking all my water. I would just like to know how it magically disappears while I am sleeping every night... so that I am back down when I weigh myself in the morning.
There must be something wrong with your scales! You shouldnt weight the same after getting dressed, thats just crazy. Especially after eatting and with the dumbbells. I think it is time to either get a new scales or if they are relativley new contact the maker!
There could be many reasons for this. I think your best bet is to see a doctor about it and explain your frustrations because if you are doing everything like counting all your calories and exercising and weigh in after weigh in you are not losing at all you may have a problem with your thyroid gland...it is called Hypothyroidism and they can check for it with a blood test and it can be corrected with medication. Or you may just be hitting a plateau. Either way, seeing a doctor will give you peace of mind because you will no what the problem is and what you can do about it. Another thing is there still could be something wrong with your scale. The other day I tripped on my scale and crunched down the bottom left corner (so embarrassing). My husband is 168lbs and the scale read that for him. I am 232 and randomly out of nowhere the scale read 198 (wishful thinking), but I had broken the part on the scale that measures 200 lbs and over; therefore, my dh's weight read correctly and mine did not. Perhaps your scale measured your 15 lbs weights correctly and is not measuring you correctly because a part on it is not working. I have no idea how scales work, but I know they are not perfect indicators of how much fat we are losing because they also measure our muscle and our water. A doctor can also do a test to see how much of your weight is fat and how much fat you are losing. I was really embarrassed to go to a doctor in the past because I don't like their nature to be authoritarian and that is just de-motivating to me. But looking around I have found a doctor who is non-judgemental and fits well with my situation. If you do plan on purchasing a new scale...smashing the old one to bits might help with frustration!
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Personally, it sounds like your scale is not accurate with heavier weights. Unless you're wearing really light clothing, it ought to show some change. Try this: weigh yourself, in whatever outfit, then pick up the 15 lb dumbbell. See what it says then. Now try it again, weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the 12 lb dumbbell, or a 5 or 2 lb something. Accurate, or not?
Only other thing I can think of is adjusting calories, up or down, depending on what your exercise routine is. It would be discouraging working with a scale that isn't accurate, though, so see how it does with weighing something heavier than 15 lbs. Might be it's just a wimpy scale and goes mental past 150 lbs, lol. (been there, owned that one!)
I would like to pitch my scale out the window. The numbers just aren't going down!! Scales seem so unreliable anyways... I just use them as a guideline so that I know I am heading in the right direction.
I agree with jamsk8r: weigh yourself (should say 287, right?), then pick up the 15 pound dumbell and weigh again. If the scale is giving you accurate numbers, it should read 302 (287+15).
It could be that you need a new scale, preferably one that will accurately measure the higher weights.
To follow-up:
1) Yes, I am exercising (hard and frequently)
2) Yes, I am tracking my calories (1800/day)
I think, though, that those of you who mentioned that the scale may be a piece of are right. I mean, how can I not fluctuate AT ALL throughout the day??? Dressed/undressed, fed/unfed, morning/night...287 it is! Even if I weren't losing anything, shouldn't there be fluctuation based on time of day, food eaten, clothes worn, etc.?
As for the clothes, I'm in Kansas and it's been colder than a witch's...well, it's been pretty cold here. So when I'm dressed for work, I am talking at a minimum a sweater, slacks, socks, bra, and underwear. Most days there's also a shirt of some sort underneath the sweater. Even today, for this morning's experimental weigh-in, I had on a lightweight sweater, shirt, slacks, bra, panties, and shoes!
It just seems to get stuck on 287 A LOT. Days at a time. No matter the circumstance. Even if I get on and off and on again. That's what it will register. Weird, huh?
Maybe those of you who mentioned that it may be accurate at lower weights but go kerflooey at heavier ones, are onto something...
Losing my mind!
scale out the 
The numbers just aren't going down!! 
Scales seem so unreliable anyways... I just use them as a guideline so that I know I am heading in the right direction.
So when I'm dressed for work, I am talking at a minimum a sweater, slacks, socks, bra, and underwear. Most days there's also a shirt of some sort underneath the sweater. Even today, for this morning's experimental weigh-in, I had on a lightweight sweater, shirt, slacks, bra, panties, and shoes! 
